Gon receives an update, but just as importantly… he gets the final information from Cassidy.
Gon's day hadn't ended yet. He still had time during the late afternoon, and early evening to spend with his lovers. After everything he has become aware of, the rules and conditions he now has been given… he understands the direness of the situation he has been put in. He has only four days with his partner before he'll be forced to go deep diving with Steffelor to hunt that creature down.
There was one more person he'll need to talk with first and that was Cassidy, the resident doctor. They were the person who not only performed an autopsy on the body found, they were one of the few people able to dig into a body full of poisons that manage to make a man lose his stomach content.
The security guard complained the smell was thick and pungent.
She can survive it, but Gon might not be so lucky now that he thinks about it. He has a strong sense of smell… so if it can make a security guard vomit, he might not fare too well against it.
Maybe he can ask the lady if he can borrow a visor or something, something that he could use to block the smell.
But until that happens, he's going to need to update his partners.
Gon called Iason, hoping that his boyfriend wasn't still deep diving with Sakura. Not because he was afraid of something happening to them, but rather because it was an important conversation they'll need to have.
There were a few seconds before the pick-up sound, the boy hearing Iason's voice first "Gon, where are you?"
"Actually… can we meet up first? We need to talk about what I learned."
"Well, I've got some more bad news to tell you. Sakura and I were deep diving when we approached two sharks. One of them smacked me across the face."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, it was an accident… as the shark was hugging me right after-"
"Aww…" Gon could imagine Iason in his head blushing, picturing the scene without any descriptions of how the shark was hugging him without arms.
"Gon, could you stop picturing the shark hugging me. It's what I learned is the issue. The Kruleabon Sharks had a puncture wound on its back. It was about an inch deep and jagged. When I touched it, the shark swam away, but it felt like there were no signs of the wound healing properly. Gon… whatever it is, it's big… and it's dangerous."
"Is Sakura with you? Is he okay?"
"He is… we're both a little shaken up about the idea. Is it possible you can call it quits? We'll help fork over the payment for the bills."
"No, NO. I would never make you cover the payments. I've agreed to go exploring with Steffelor in four days."
"Gon, why would-"
"It's dangerous… I'm aware. But I made a promise, not to just Sakura and by extension you, Iason… I promised I would never hurt you by putting myself in severe danger."
"This is considered, severe danger."
"Teddy…" Gon added a cheeky inflection to his voice, "You're acting like our worrywart little flower."
"I heard that!" Sakura yelled through the phone.
Iason's face flushed a little red from the 'pet name', but his point still needed to be made "Gon, we-"
"I know…" Gon's expression softened, even though none of his partners would be able to see it. Hopefully, they'll be able to hear it through his tone "but I need to visit one more person before I commit to this task. If she shares some concerning information, while, I won't initially pull out. I'll request we get extra assistance before we go down there. There's a possibility that the two of us alone, will not be able to trap or take out the creature."
"Gon…" Sakura spoke softly through the receiver, "We understand, but at the same time we want you to remain safe."
"I will…" Gon's smile broke through, looking solemnly at his phone "I promise." His expression shifted "Head to the food court. I'll meet you there. I'll tell you what I've learned so far. Maybe you can pick up on something I didn't see… Like I said, I'll try to find Cassidy tomorrow and I want to be able to address everything I've not only learned… but what she's discovered as well."
"Alright, we'll be there…" Iason looked at his watch "In about fifteen minutes. Don't order a banquet without us."
"Aww…"
"~"
When the two arrived, Gon was true to his word. Their boyfriend was waiting for them, eyebrows knitted together deep in thought. Their partner had the right to have a lot on his mind.
He was asked to give up their job, even though it was the reason they manage to receive a spot on the island. Had he not accepted the job, they wouldn't be here right now. They'll be back on Yorbia, continuing to do whatever they were doing last…
Not here, on a resort Island… enjoying the sunny beaches.
The two knew that much, but at the same time… Gon's life could be in danger. His life was more important than having a spot on a resort Island.
When Gon looked up, his brilliant dazzling smile blinded them, the two melting at the sight. It's going to be hard to tell their boyfriend to back down, not just because they were concerned about the type of danger their partner could be in…
They wanted to be by his side for the rest of their lives.
If he doesn't come back after his mission, how could either of them face the boy's aunt? How could they not only introduce Iason but tell her, that her son wasn't coming back?
The two took a seat in front of their partner, Iason once more voicing their opinion on the matter "Is there any way we can convince you to give up on the job?"
Gon shook his head slowly, eyes closed as he did so "You can't…" Opening his eyes, he smiled at his partner "Whatever it is, it's a danger to everyone here. Geoffrey might send us all home if I deny his request, but that's not the thing I'm concerned about. Nathaniel will not only have wasted his time helping me land a spot here, but I won't know if I can help until I try… this is the first time I'll be assisting anyone since the Chimera Ants. I want to help…"
Iason sighed in defeat, "Alright." The teen shifted his gaze to his partner's "Before you tell us anything, I think we should get something to eat while we discuss what you know."
The three sat down, eating between breaks of conversation. Gon went through what he knows, mentioning everything he has learned along the way.
The two listen carefully, neither one interrupting Gon until he was done.
Iason had a few things he could pick out, but until his boyfriend speaks to Cassidy, there was only so much he could ask without any information to back up his questions "So, you'll need to approach Cassidy with at least two questions, other than the ones you want to personally ask her…"
The teen crossed his arms, "But I do have a question, about one of the things you asked about. What possessed you to ask about the sharks being scared about there?"
"Well, I was wondering if there's a possibility the sharks are avoiding that area? So, when you brought up the fact one of the sharks was bitten… it got me thinking further about the question. Are the sharks completely avoiding the area?"
"Given that we ran into a shark who had been in that circumstance, I think it's safe to say they are avoiding the area."
"Then, if there's no sharks or people there… what is it eating?"
Iason grew silent. Gon was right, what if there was nothing left there for the creature to hunt? Will it leave the area to find another source of food… or can it go so long without food, it doesn't need a constant supply?
After that, what will it do if it does get hungry and there is nothing else for it to eat…?
Everyone at the resort could be in danger.
Then Steffelor might have already predicted this very issue.
Iason held up two fingers, "Two things I think would be best directed at Cassidy. Geoffrey might know, consider the others mentioned he's been on the island the longest… but Cassidy might have run into previous situations, or know of any cases that would involve other predators invading the area."
"I guess… she might know."
"The second one, ask her if there's a reason the body was half-eaten. Considering she did the autopsy, she might know."
"I planned on asking her that as well."
"Good…" Iason sighed, feeling a little annoyed at the situation. Gon was not only intrigued but after hearing everything he discussed, there was no way to avoid the situation. There's nothing they can say or do, to stop Gon from going into the depths, of the West Underwater Forest.
People's safety was at risk.
If this man Steffelor can't deal with the issue…
Even if they were allowed to stay at the resort, if the creature decides to change its hunting ground's location, they could be the next one the thing devours. Neither Sakura nor himself would want to be a snack for a monster that smells like a trash pit full of decomposing corpses.
Sakura looked at Iason, then Gon "Then, what are you going to do about a digital depth meter? I don't think we hired one…"
Iason smiled, "We didn't… but we can." The young teen pulled out a map, pointing at one of the stores "You can buy and hire them at this location, Gon. I'd suggest buying, rather than hiring them. We don't know how many dives you'll have to do to find this thing. If it's more active at the night… I'll suggest trying to find it anywhere from sunrise to… no later than five pm, so get one with a watch attached. The deeper you go, the harder it will be to tell time."
"Alright, thanks for your advice, Teddy…"
Iason pouted, "I'm trying to be serious Gon… please get one with a watch. The last thing you want to do is find it when it's waking up."
"I know…" Gon smiled brightly, nodding his head a few times in acceptance before he responded "You're still our Teddy."
Iason groaned, head now falling into his hands "Alright, Sunshine…" Even with his hands covering his face, the brightness of Gon's smile could blind him through the cracks of his fingers. He hopes all of them are making the right choice, as the love of their life is risking their neck.
"~"
The next day, seeing as the boy's time was limited, he searched for Cassidy.
It took a while… a bit of probing and questioning for the young teen to find information about the resident doctor. She wasn't someone you'd find in the nurse bay sticking band-aids onto little kids when they tripped and fell.
She was higher ranking than that, a researcher of some kind.
Geoffrey didn't really, want to involve the girl for unexplained reasons, but Gon pursuing her could change exactly how much he knew and increase the chances of finding the thing.
But before he left, he made sure to ask the man if there had been any other predators…
There had been none before this instance.
Cassidy was overlooking the information once more, trying to divulge any clues to how to cure the toxin. It was strange having the thing still rotting away in the freezer, no signs of the toxic pus clearing away any time soon.
So far, freezing it reduced its smell, but not its potency.
It must have come from a type of artic zone, somehow washing up here at the beach resort. It would explain why it hunts during the night when it's at the coolest of temperatures. What it doesn't explain, is why it's here…
Pouring the liquid pus into the only type of acid dissolvent to erase its trace… the smell permanented the air for a minuscule second.
The sound of a teenager whining made her stop to look around, adjusting her glasses once she saw them in a wetsuit "I assume you're lost, as you're not supposed to be down here…"
"No, I'm looking for Cassidy."
"You're speaking to her…" The young doctor adjusted her glasses slightly, turning the clipboard so the teen wouldn't be able to see what she had written down.
"I'm Gon… Gon Freecss. Geoffrey said I could find you here."
"Ahh…" The young lady offered a smile, "You're the young Hunter I keep hearing gossip about."
"Gossip?"
"Nothing infringing. Mainly the cute nice teenager, by reception, who had gravity-defying hair and multiple partners."
"That's me… not sure about the cute part… my partners are definitely, cuter."
The woman smiled, "How sweet of you. So, what can I do you for?"
"Apparently, you still have the body. Can I see it?"
"I do… what's left of it at least. Unfortunately, I'll be unable to pull it out of the freezer… it's too rotten, and the smell will permeant my office once more. It took far too long to air out this room the last time, you know…"
"That's fine."
The woman gestured to the boy, ushering him to follow her. She stopped at the door, swiping her card on the reader. Once validated, the door opened… the cool air from within freezing her fingertips.
Gon immediately covered up his nose, the smell filling his nostrils "Ugh… what's that smell?"
"You can smell it?"
"Yeah… it's foul like it's still rotting."
"Interesting…" The young lady scribbled a note down, "Not many people can smell it once it's left in cooler temperatures. You must have a very sensitive nose…"
"I do…" Gon's eyes followed her hand's direction, the body lying on a gurney. The teen tried to get closer, only to back out of the room. It was too much for him "Do you have a mask by chance?"
"Sure do…" Closing the door, she walked around her office, pulling one of the gas masks off the wall.
She brought it back to the teen, Gon putting it on "Thank you." Opening the door, he entered the room once more, looking over the body.
Even as ice-encased parts of the room, yellow pus oozed from the body, most of it collecting in a metal bowl. It was vicious in texture, the smell was still able to penetrate his mask.
It was foul, but bearable with the mask on.
"So, what would you like to know?"
"How long has the body been like this?"
"The symptoms are progressively getting worse as time passes…" The doctor points at the bowl, "It just constantly oozes the toxin from the corpse, as though it's a mass production line for it. We don't know why it's doing it, but it is… the only way to kill it, is to give it an acid bath… or take a blow torch to the wound. But that stops it from leaking out of the burnt spot… not reproducing it. Also, Acid is the sure way to kill it in its tracks… but that's not a possible cure."
"What do you think is the reason the creature didn't eat everything…?" Gon looked over the body, seeing sections of the body had remained untouched, like leftover vegetables on a child's plate.
"There are multiple theories…" The woman pressed a finger against a muscle, yellow puss being forced out of one of the torn sections "As a deterrent to stop other predators from eating from its food source."
Pushing the body, she forced one of the torn sections open, more pus pouring out like she was bursting a pimple on a body "The wounds are deep… deep enough to hide something. Maybe the young have weaker teeth, so they go into the depths of torn skin to eat."
"You think its species produce the toxin?"
"It's definitely, not coming from its saliva. I found samples of that… it doesn't cause that reaction when it meets blood."
"Is this the first predator?"
"Probably not… but since the resort has been open, certainly. There are possibly fossils buried in the water of predators that lived in the water long ago. But something made them up and vanished… maybe a change in weather… a reduction is a specific food source, anything, really…"
"What about on land?"
"Nope, nothing of that sort… this is a predator-free zone. No carnivores whatsoever… unless you count some guests. Even when the zoo, at some point, tried to get carnivores on the island. Mr Klein refused to introduce those to this ecosystem."
The young woman removed her hands, the wound falling back into place "We do have a farm on the island to produce meat, but it's not enough to cover the residents, so we still get a daily supply off the island. The previous man who built the resort took to fishing out the Kruleabon Shark and offer them as exotic meat, but when Mr Klein took over… it stopped. Only recently… like in the last six years, guests have been able to interact with the sharks."
"So, they weren't always approachable?"
"No, they weren't…"
Gon looked from the lady, then back to the body "Is it alright if I make a call to a friend. Relay what you told me; he might be able to help you."
"Does he study some form of toxicology…?"
"No, a Contract Hunter…"
The woman raised an eyebrow at the boy "He's going to help, how?"
"He might know something that can help… he'll be discreet, I promise."
The young doctor sighed, "Fine give him a call."
"Hmm… Gon?"
"Hey, Kite. I was wondering if you can help me with a job."
"Sure, what do you need?"
"Can you tell him?"
Cassidy relayed all her findings, the man with the slightly feminine on the other side listening carefully. There was a long pause before he spoke, voice-controlled "No animal like that exists… at least nothing I've heard about. You say the toxin mass produces itself?"
"Yes…"
"It also leaves a foul odour… it might be a sort of deterrent. Something to help them tell each other apart. But given the corpse you found; it hunts by a sort of smell. If it takes too long to eat its latest victim, the victim becomes a sort of host to the toxin…"
Kite thought about the situation. Do reproducers of the species use the half-eaten corpses as hosts for their children? Then what's the point of making the body mass-produce toxins?
Is it how the creatures become toxic? Do they infect their young, rather than them being born with it?
There were so many questions and possible scenarios he'll have to look through to find the information
"It sounds like its eyesight is not only terrible… it's possible, but they may not be born as toxic creatures."
"A type of infection that converts other species into their own?"
"I don't believe so…" Kite hummed his answer, thinking about it further "There would've been more cases of these creatures popping up not only on the island but around the world also. It doesn't sound like it's a constant eater, as there would've been more cases of Kruleabon Sharks popping up as missing."
"So far only three tagged sharks have gone missing. But there's way more out there, than the ones we have tagged."
"So, tracking its eating habit wouldn't be possible. Given what I've heard and what you are aware of, there are two possible answers. First, it's a deep-sea predator that somehow got lost in the cave systems. The kind you'll find in the Marina Trench or…"
"It came from the Dark Continent?"
"Exactly…"
"What exactly is the Dark Continent?"
Gon turned to the doctor, "It's best described as the uncharted world beyond our map. Bizarre creatures, unimaginable sights… the supposed reason we haven't explored it, is because it's extremely dangerous. Creatures like the one that got lost here can be found in abundance up there."
"Is it possible we can get rid of it?"
"It might not be something I can punch…"
"Not all that comes from the Dark Continent are built like the Chimera Ants. If it hunts by smell, then you too… might be able to smell it coming. That's IF it has the same smell… it might be smart enough to find a way to mask its scent. Miss Cassidy?"
"Yes?"
"Are there any deep-sea plants that could potentially reduce the risk of an infection?"
"Yes, but it grows…" The woman paused, leaving the room to go into her lab.
Gon watched her in confusion as she went through her drawers, pulling several out before finding one containing dry leaves.
The young teen watched as the woman left to return with a syringe, moving past him to enter the cool room. She drew some, kind of sample from the body, before going back into the lab. Pushing it into a separate test tube, she sprinkled some of the leaves in the test tube. The blood sample slightly shifted to a yellowish-red, before transforming back to its yellow pus-filled state "It might be possible to recover from a bite, but it needs to be in an early stage…"
"What did you find?" Kite asked through the receiver.
"There's a plant found in the West Underwater Forest, called Luminous Bile. We use it to treat small infections, but with a larger sample…"
"It could kill the infection?"
"At least, that's what I think it would do. I'll need to combine it with something else, the question is what…?"
Gon's expression brightened "Wait, I should mention my partners found one of the sharks that have been bitten and survived the attack."
The doctor frowned, arms now crossed "And you're only bringing this up with me now."
"No, when you mentioned a combination, it made me remember. The Shark didn't produce the pus… but its wound isn't healing either."
"That's… not only concerning, but also good news. The sharks don't stay in the same area, they migrate around the island, moving from one location to the next. It explains why the sharks that have been tagged, don't frequent the West Underwater Forest anymore. While I can't say if there's anything else in the area that still frequents that area… If the sharks survived an attack… that's good news."
"So they have been avoiding that part of the island…"
"Yes, the sharks are very social animals. So if you mistreat one of them, they'll all avoid you by the end of the day. There is a but, if you've already treated them nicely in the past, they'll look past the action only a few times… they won't be fooled for long."
"So, as long as Iason doesn't hurt another one by accident… seeing as he hurt it by touching the open wound, he'll be okay."
"Certainly, they will forgive you in their own, way. But, if it has an open wound that isn't oozing yellow pus, it means recovery from the toxin is possible." The lady tapped her cheek, wondering out loud "I wonder if it's something in their body… or diet makes it possible. As they are known to eat Luminous Bile…"
"I might know someone else who can help us with that… Sakura, my partner loves to research flora and fauna. If it's something in the shark's diet, he could narrow it down."
"Gon, if you plan on hunting this thing… it might have made a home near a patch of Luminous Bile. It might also be devouring large patches of the stuff before hunting prey to reduce its smell. I'll be careful if I was you…"
"I know…" Gon swallowed thickly, his hand now shaking with excitement… fear. There was a huge task ahead of him, one full of serious, danger. He promised he wouldn't put himself in danger anymore to his partners… but leaving the task to only Steffelor, wouldn't be right.
The monster needed to be captured… or killed, before it can endanger the island guests.
"Thank you so much, I promise I'll be okay. I won't be going in alone."
"Good… You made a promise, that you wouldn't make the same mistake you did with Killua and Daniel."
"I plan on keeping that promise."
"I'll see if something like this has been documented from the Dark Continent or the deep-sea. Otherwise, send me a photo of the body and I'll see if I can find anything else about the toxin."
"Will do!"
He'll now have to make that call, to first find out where the creature's current home is. If it's a figure that can't be taken out through normal methods, then it's best they at least report to Geoffrey. They might need more help than two Pro Hunters to deal with a monster that came, possibly, from the Dark Continent.
Gon hung up before calling his partner Sakura. If anyone could recall the flora and fauna of the island, off by heart, his partner can. He just hopes his boyfriend has his phone on him and is not out and about without it.
There were a few seconds before the pick-up sound, the boy hearing Sakura's giggle before his voice "Hey Gon, how's it going?"
"I'm currently with Cassidy and was wondering if you can help us with something."
"Sure, how can I assist?"
"Can you think of anything combined with Luminous Bile that could help recover from a toxin?"
"Here…?" Sakura thought for a moment "It'll have to be a combination, not just two ingredients. Why?"
"Young boy, can you recall some of these vegetations by memory?"
"I sure can…" Sakura hummed to himself for a moment as he looked over the list of flora found on the island and water "There's about five that I can see. Three in the water, two on land."
"If you can collect a sample of these ingredients, head to the counter. Ask them to call Cassidy Klein."
"Klein…?" Gon asked, shocked at the news. Cassidy was related to Geoffrey in some way "As in the same Klein as Geoffrey Klein?"
"The same… He's, my father. But right now, that's not important. I want to run a few tests. Can you grab me the samples Sakura?"
"Sure, I could… but I don't think I could get two of them?"
"Well, Luminous Bile is found in abundance in the West Underwater Forest."
"We have that… what's the other?"
"It's a part of the Kruleabon Shark's diet. It's called Winter Dust."
"I'll call the people who go around to feeding the sharks, to see if there's any in the storage containers they could spare. I'm sure they'll have some for my research."
"Then I should be able to get the rest. Iason, can you help me gather the stuff?"
"Certainly, just show me what you need and I'll help recover or hold it."
Gon's expression grew brightly "Thank you for helping me."
"No problems, we just want you to be safe…" Iason uttered casually.
Cassidy's expression melted slightly at the affirmation. Those two boys cared about Gon's safety. She'll try to help as dealing with a toxin like this creature's will be hard work.
"Gon, I want you to be careful out there… making a vaccine that will be able to counter the toxin, won't be done in a day, so don't get bitten."
"I'll be careful…"